What's the Surprise?
by JustClem
Summary: Max, bored and in Seattle, decides to text Chloe, who's holed up in Arcadia Bay. Or so she thinks.


Max laid in her parents' living room, on their cozy armchair. her feet dangled on the air, free from the wretchedness that are socks or sandals.

(_"Be free, my tippy toes!" _she'd said as she flung away her rainbow-patterned socks. She'd produced a girly "oomph!" sound as she threw her body onto her favorite armchair.)

Max thought of her toes, and how kind of round they were in a weird way. It made her think of other things that were round. Footballs. Tennis balls. Tennis _table_ balls. The ear-thingies for headphones. Oranges. Donuts. Delicious donuts. Donuts with sprinkles. Donuts from that small bakery shop in Arcadia Bay that just opened weeks before she went back to Seattle. The donut shop that's run by that sweet old lady. The most delicious donuts of all.

Without a real responsible thought, Max whipped out her phone. She texted the only person she could talk to about weird things. Well, without feeling self-conscious or awkward, that was.

AKA Chloe.

AKA her punk, badass, tall, weed-smoking, trouble-making tough girlfriend who was secretly a teddy bear.

**madmax:** man

**madmax:** i miss mrs elizas donut

Only with Chloe did Max type without worrying about grammar.

Because no matter how bad Max's grammar was, Chloe's was always, _always_ worse.

Sometimes Max thought Chloe had made a challenge out of it.

_"Oh, you thought that was bad grammar?! You're in for a real treat!"_ Chloe had once probably, maybe, (definitely) said, at one point in her life. Most likely after she'd started smoking weed.

Max's phone buzzed faintly. Max opened her text messages.

**priceless:** ik

**priceless:** uve been talking abt it for

**priceless:** like

**priceless:** months

Max made an offended half-gasping half-choking noise. She slammed her mouth with her hand, only to realize she was alone in her house. She could do all sorts of weird crowd without anyone judging.

Well, except for ghosts.

But ghosts were always judging you, so what the heck?

**madmax:** ive been here for a week!

The reply couldn't come faster.

**priceless:** yea

**priceless:** im convinced u love that donut more than me

Max snorted. Despite her claims that she hated drama because of its stupidity, Chloe was one dramatic cute little baby.

Not that Max would ever say that in Chloe's face.

**madmax:** thats not true!

Max wanted to tell Chloe how much she loved her, like a logical person would, but thought better of it. She gave a greater response.

**madmax:** i love u both equally!

Max could _hear_ Chloe's snort and little chuckle. Not to mention that wry smile she gave max that said, "Yeah, fuck, maybe you're a _little_ funny."

**priceless:** fuck u i dont wanna share

**priceless:** its shitty

**priceless:** idk y u like it

**priceless:** but u do

Jesus. Max's brain _hurt _reading that.

How had Chloe ever even passed kindergarten?

**madmax:** well, to be fair, ure shitty too, but...

**priceless:** what r u talkin abt?

**priceless:** im

**priceless:** like

**priceless:** the hottest thing to ever existttt

Max wanted to deny it, but... well... yeah, that _was_ true. Everyone would agree. Max had seen the way Dana, Taylor, Juliet, and even _Victoria_ looked at Chloe.

Heck, even _Kate_ had had a schoolgirl crush on Chloe!

(Not that Chloe noticed, being the oblivious dolt that she was.)

**madmax:** lol

**madmax:** doesnt mean ure not shitty tho

Max braced herself. She smiled and waited for a response. The smile turned into a frown when the response didn't come in less than seven seconds.

**madmax:** ... chlo?

She waited again. And then there was a voice telling her, "Ugh, stop being clingy! You _do_ know she has better things to do then message you! Her life doesn't revolve around you! You're so needy!"

So Max closed her message app and opened Pinterest to scroll through cute pictures.

The distraction wasn't even a distraction. Because Max never stopped thinking about Chloe. And even if it was a distraction, it only worked for three minutes (that somehow felt like seven.) Soon enough, Max already typed in a rush.

**madmax:** lol u know i was joking right?

She waited.

And got tired of waiting after promptly five seconds.

**madmax:** Chloe

She used capital letters, hoping it conveyed how freaked out she was. Because really, she was kind of maybe (totally) freaking out.

Just as she was about to send a text that said Chloe was beautiful - because she _was,_ more than anything - three little roundy dots appeared at the corner of her screen. Max's anxiety skyrocketed as relief crashed down like a boulder.

**priceless:** got a surprise for u

Welp.

That was _not_ what she'd expected _at all._

**madmax:** ?

**priceless:** ask me what the surprise is

**madmax:** ?

**priceless:** do it

**madmax:** le sighhhhhhh

This ought to be terrible and lewd and creative all at once. Max could feel it, with her 'Maxie senses'.

_Chloe, I swear to Dog, if you're about to send me a picture of you undressed... _

**madmax:** whats the surprise, chlo?

**priceless:** its me

**priceless:**: im the surprise

**priceless:** bitch

The doorbell rang.

Max stared.

No way.

the doorbell rang again. Twice.

No flippin' way.

Max's phone buzzed, and Chloe, through text, told her, "dude, open the fuck up!"

So Max, being the obedient girlfriend that she was, complied.

And it resulted in her seeing Chloe, in all her charm and wit. Oh, and she had a grin on her face.

What a douchebag!

An adorable, cheeky douchebag!

Max, being the logical person that she was, chose a logical course of action:

Tackle Chloe into a hug that hit the air out of Chloe's lungs.

Chloe replied by hugging her back with one hand instead of the usual two, _but who cares?_ Chloe was here.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm awesome."

"You're the best," Max said, content to fill up Chloe's ego. She inhaled the weirdly-comforting smell that was weed and men's deodorant. The clusterfuck of the scent made her smile.

Max didn't pull away until she heard the shuffling of paper bags and chloe uttering a lighthearted, "I have something for you..."

And Max found that the reason why Chloe held her with one hand was because her other hand held a large plastic bag.

Chloe jostled the plastic bag meaningfully. She grinned that wolfish grin of hers and wiggling her eyebrows like the dork that she was.

"You didn't."

She did.

Chloe brought Max's favourite donut. All the way from Arcadia Bay. Just. For. Her.

So Max tackled her into another hug. One that resulted in Chloe's back tickling the grass and Max on top of her. She peppered feathery, quick kisses all over Chloe like an attack as Chloe laughed in glee.

Chloe pushed Max by the forehead away from her, dodging her super deadly kiss attacks.

That gesture links to her brushing the hair covering the side of Max's face. Chloe's smile turned into something warmer, softer. She tucked the strands aside with a gentleness reserved only when she was alone and with Max.

"Jeez, you're like a golden retriever," she mussed, in a tone so fond it got rid of any bite.

Max could only grin. And yeah, sure, her grin may be big and wide and showed too much teeth, but she didn't care. This was _Chloe. _

"Aren't you gonna invite me in, Caulfield?" Chloe raised an eyebrow in questioning and reprimand. It reminded max of Joyce whenever Chloe did something and asked Max to cover for her. All elderly and warm and stern. "I _am_ your valued guest."

"Oh, are you?"

"Yup." Chloe clicked her tongue. "I'm high and mighty and perfect and-"

"A goof."

"Oi. I am not a goof."

"You _so_ are."

Max kissed Chloe on the space between her eyebrows so she wouldn't argue. She rolled away from her to stand up.

Max offered a hand. Chloe made a show of shaking her head before taking up on the offer.

But Max wasn't all that strong - time powers aside.

And Chloe wasn't exactly lightweight.

The result was Max toppling into Chloe, and Chloe having to help Max up.

"Who's the goof now?"

Max smiled. "Still you."

"Goof."

Chloe kissed Max at the tip of her nose. It caused a snort and a giggle to erupt. Chloe then began to kiss her, down to her neck even though she knew full-well it wad Max's sensitive spot.

(Or maybe Chloe kissed her there _because _it was Max's sensitive spot.)

"H-hey, that tickles."

"Oh really now?"

"Yes."

"Are you saying that this-" a kiss to the neck, right below the jaw "-tickles?"

"Uhuh."

"What about here?" A kiss near the collarbone. "Here?" At another spot. "How about, lets say, here?" At another.

The whole time, Max had trembled and kept her composure in. She tried not to break into a burst of laughter. It became an impossible feat after the seventh kiss. Max shoved Chloe aside with a rather childish "quit it!"

After she convinced Chloe not to declare a tickle fight, they both got up in success, for once. Max glued herself to Chloe's side the whole way to her parents' house. She never let go, and Chloe chuckled at that.

She ruffled Max's hair with a soft "You really missed me, huh?"

Max stood on her tippy toes to give Chloe her well-deserved kiss. "I did." Her lips traveled from Chloe's lips to her nose, then her cheek, all the way muttering, "So, _so_ much."

She broke away with a delighted grin on her face. Her smile was so wide it hurt her cheeks. Not that she'd stop.

Chloe mirrored her smile with her own, equally filled with delight.

They stood there and looked at each other like the lovesick puppies that they were.

"Hey, Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm seriously into you."

A snort, followed by a chuckle. "Same."

Chloe regarded her with a funny look. "Are you into me or into you?"

"Both."

Silence.

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

A click of the tongue. "Are we gonna eat these donuts or what?"


End file.
